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Minnesota Vikings: Unnecessary roughness call costs interception

By Ben Goesslingbgoessling@pioneerpress.com

Posted:
12/02/2012 12:01:00 AM CST

Updated:
12/04/2012 09:54:56 PM CST

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Vikings lost a golden opportunity to extend their lead in the second quarter of their loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday when Jared Allen's interception was wiped out by an unnecessary roughness call after Everson Griffen hit Aaron Rodgers.

Referee Ed Hochuli called the penalty on defensive tackle Kevin Williams, even though it was Griffen that hit Rodgers on the play, and several Vikings players remained dumbfounded about the call after the game.

But instead of the Vikings taking over at the Packers' 16-yard line, the Packers kept the ball and punted into Vikings territory two plays later.

Coach Leslie Frazier said officials told him the penalty was called because the hit was "around the head.

"I haven't seen the play. I'm just going by what the officials said -- it was around the neck area," he said. "The way the game was going, where we were on the field, it was huge."

The Packers were angered by a similar call later in the game when cornerback Tramon Williams was whistled for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Toby Gerhart, giving the Vikings a first down in Green Bay territory after Christian Ponder overthrew Gerhart on the play. Replays showed Williams hit Gerhart in the shoulder, but the Vikings couldn't take advantage of the penalty; Ponder threw an interception on the next play.